worst in me | joe keery (1)

03 : sets and runaways

"That was an incredible shot! Good job, Millie." The director called out, causing Millie to grin as she turned away and made her way to the snack table, picking up her water bottle from beside Valoria.

"You really spend all day here, huh?" Millie asked, causing a laugh to emit from the taller brunette. "I love the set and the people here. Plus, Finn likes seeing me here."

As she mentioned her brother, Finn stepped out of his dressing room in his Mike Wheeler attire and came to Valoria's side.

She wordlessly handed him a bag of chips then proceeded to give his hair a small ruffle. "You excited?"

Finn nodded with a grin, opening up the bag and snacking on the chips. "I'm nervous, but I mean its all good. This scene is just big."

Valoria nodded, taking a sip of the coffee she needed for this night shoot. "You got this, you've been filming for a week and you already have your character down to a tee."

Millie nodded to Valoria's words, tossing an extra compliment to Finn into the mix. As the two kids spoke, Noah chose to join the conversation and gave Valoria a reason to leave the discussion.

The brunette wandered away from her brother and castmates, scrolling through her Instagram feed aimlessly as she walked through the set. Valoria had no idea where she was going, she was just tired and wanted some place to chill.

"You look really lost." Joe said with a laugh, appearing beside her and following her stride. Valoria giggled, "I kinda am. I don't know where I'm going and I'm kinda hungry."

"I mean, that's what night shoots do." Joe said with a shrug, and Valoria stared at him for a moment. "It's barely six, you can't even say the shoot has begun."

Joe chuckled. "You're not wrong. Anyway, I'm done for an hour or two. Wanna grab a bite to eat?"

Valoria agreed immediately, her stomach answering before she could. "I really want Chinese."

"I have to grab my keys, then we can go to a great Chinese restaurant I know. Its only ten minutes away, too." Joe said cheerily, leaving the brunette for a moment to get his car keys.

Valoria pulled out her phone and shot a text to her brother, informing her that she would be gone for a bit. She let out a small laugh as he replied demanding he bring her back some food.

Just as she completed a text back to him, Joe resurfaced by her side, a jacket on and a pair of keys in his hand. "Shall we?"

She followed him out to the car as she retold a story from her childhood, his laugh echoing through the parking lot as he opened up the car door for her. Valoria smiled, situating herself in his car as he ran over to the driver's side.

"Are you a chicken or beef person?" Joe asked when they reached the restaurant, sitting down across from Valoria in a booth. True to his word, the restaurant had only been ten minutes away from their location of shooting and was a small, family run business. Valoria could smell the food being cooked and her mouth was watering even without the food in front of her.

"I love chicken, even though I was vegan."

"Wait, what?"

Valoria laughed softly, "Two years ago, I was vegan for maybe a year. It was interesting."

"Did you just suddenly develop a hatred for animals?" Joe asked, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"Not at all," the brunette said, "it was just tiring to keep it up and Finn turned me into a joke."

Joe laughed, "That's such a Finn thing to do."

"I know, but I love him." Valoria said with a grin.

"I grew up with you in the media, and even though I knew the castings two weeks before filming, I never put you and him together." Joe admitted, letting out a breathy laugh.

Valoria laughed gently, "I don't think anyone did. We don't look much alike and I had disappeared from the media for a few years. I want him to shine without me, he deserves that much."

Joe smiled at the brunette, "You really care about him, huh?"

Valoria nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips. "He's a little butt, but yes I do."

"So, what made you drop off the face of the world?" Joe asked her after their food was delivered, and Valoria sat rigid for a moment. Joe sensed the tension in her and reached out to grasp her hand on the table, squeezing it.

"I didn't know it was serious, you don't have to tell me."

Valoria played with her food with her free hand, the other one squeezing Joe's hand in return. After a moment, she gave him a tender smile. "I don't think I'm ready for that just yet. Just know, I bring out the worst in a person."

Joe stared at her incredulously. "I don't believe that."

She laughed slightly, pulling her hand back so she could begin eating. "We'll see, Keery. Depending on how this relationship works out, you'll see how it all plays out."